Grandmas .410 gauge

[ness]

Boy, the mention of a .410 brings back good memories. The first gun my dad shot was a Montgomery Ward .410.  My first shots were with a .410 too —the  same gun — and then my kids first shots were with it too. It’s locked up in the gun safe and hasn’t been shot for several years. Wish I had something planned for it , but I don’t. 

[Ketchup]

Nice outing BH. I have been saying i was going out every day this week, but that work thing keeps my daylight hours busy. 

Cool picture there. 

[Old plug]

I owned a single shot 410 that killed many a rabbit. Trouble with it was not going to get doubles on squirrels unless they stopped for a bit. I bought a 410. pump a few years back . Love it. It really is also been my weapon to kill the Armadillos with loaded with a slug.

[Flysmallie]

I started with an old .410 that my dad got for me when I was 8. I remember us working on that gun and refinishing the stock and re-bluing it. Shot a lot of dove and quail with that little gun before I got a 20 ga.

When my dad passed my mom gave it to my nephew. Hopefully someday his dad will take him to shoot it but probably not. 

[Deadstream]

My Grandads .410 pump was well used when he let me call it "mine".  I hunted for gophers-deer.  I carried a paper hull  .410 slug in case I saw a bear. Still have it. The gun is in a safe, well worn now, very shootable and priceless !  

[Flysmallie]

26 minutes ago, Deadstream said:

I carried a paper hull  

I know this isn't what you mean but it brings up a funny story. My step grandad, we called him Sarge, would make me and my cousins load shells for him if we wanted to go hunting. So one cold day we were out in his freezing cold shop reloading shells for ourselves and he was being exceptionally grumpy. So we loaded him a couple of boxes of shells but in about every other shell we replaced the shot with wads of paper. We actually took the time to roll up wads of paper like shot. Next day we were out quail hunting and he tries to drop a bird with confetti. It was hilarious...........for a second.  

[Gavin]

Good Shooting! Have one just like that from my Grandfather. Great rabbit gun!

 

[BilletHead]

        It as worth this post to hear all these stories!  I can share one from this gun when my grandma used it. She and grandpa lived in mid north Minnesota on a lake surrounded by small cabin type houses along two sides. He would take out his ice house and fish and spear northern pike. They had a crabapple tree in the yard. One that loaded with fruit every year. Some of that fruit would fall to the ground while others would not. The ones in the tree would ferment. She said when there was snow on the ground and the grouse had to work hard for food they would cone into the yard, fly up into the tree to get the fruit. Knock some onto the ground and the feast would commence. The grouse would become inebriated on the fermented fruit. Some would fly into the house and knock themselves silly and she would go out and wring their necks. Others she had to chase down and finish them off with this 410. I can only imagine the circus going on. I heard some fantastic stories as we all have from out grandparents,

   BilletHead 

[Johnsfolly]

The guy next to us on our flight into Baltimore told us about how the deer would come into their orchard and eat the fermented apples. They would stand spread legged to keep their balance or lean up against the fence. He said his daughter would walk over to the drunk deer and take selfies. He said once they sobered up a bit they would head back to the apples☺!

[BilletHead]

18 minutes ago, Johnsfolly said:

The guy next to us on our flight into Baltimore told us about how the deer would come into their orchard and eat the fermented apples. They would stand spread legged to keep their balance or lean up against the fence. He said his daughter would walk over to the drunk deer and take selfies. He said once they sobered up a bit they would head back to the apples☺!

          We need to figure out what we can plant in a food plot that makes them blind, deaf and takeaway their sense of smell. That and make them use the trail under our deer stands. Grow antlers the size of extinct megafauna. Get right on that my Scientist friend! In the mean time fermented apples will work,

BilletHead